Trump wins as inflation, Middle East conflicts drag on

The win was a landslide against his Democratic opponent and Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump managed to lead in swing states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin with final results still pending in Nevada and Arizona.

The president-elect ushered in a "red wave" in which the GOP gained control of the Senate and could possibly retain the House majority.

Analysts believe one factor leading to Trump's victory is inflation. Food inflation has increased over 25 percent since 2019, according to some estimates, alongside rising rent, gas prices and interest rates.

Additionally, observers argue that Middle East conflicts have prompted Arab and Muslim voters -- traditionally supportive of Democrats -- to look elsewhere.

In Michigan's Arab-American majority city of Dearborn, unofficial results show that Trump won 42 percent of the vote, while Harris received 36 percent, a shift from 2020 when Joe Biden had won almost 70 percent of Dearborn voters, the New York Times reported.

"Trump made gains across the board and in many different geographic areas," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"Voters liked his America First agenda and pledge to get tough with other countries," West said.